Electric lamp receptacle



May 14, 1935. H. K. WACK 2,001,557

ELECTRIC LAMP RECEPTACLE Filed Sept. 13, 1932 Wvavram Hun. KHYYMK Fig %..,,M;

A7727 NEY.

Patented May 14, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC LAMP RECEPTACLE Application September 13, 1932, Serial No. 632,931

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an electric lamp receptacle and is exemplified herein in a pilot light construction.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a lamp receptacle of simplified construction which may be embodied in a structure of small and compact size to permit its installation in a small space.

Another object is the provision of a receptacle in which the ordinary screw shell member is eliminated thereby effecting a substantial saving' in labor and material.

A further object is the provision of a receptacle structure which may be rapidly assembled in order to secure a further saving in the cost of manufacture.

Other objects of the invention will be more specifically set forth and described hereinafter.

In one of its aspects, my invention contemplates a lamp receptacle structure comprising an insulating body provided with a circular recess' adapted to receive the threaded or male screw shell'end of an electric lampand a contact mounted in said insulating body and having opposite corrugated edges adapted for engaging the screw shell end of the lamp to hold it in said recess. One form of contact suitable for this purpose may be U-shaped and the insulating body is provided with a suitable recess in diametric relation to said circular recess to hold said contact so that the inner corrugated edges of its two upright arms will project into the circular recess on opposite lines to engage the threads on the screw shell end or base of the lamp. These corrugations serve the same pur pose as the well-known screw shell and the lamp is screwed into the circular recess in the usual manner. p

The advantages of this feature are many. In the first place, the size of the insulating body may be much reduced and a smaller and more compact structure produced, secondly, there is a substantial saving in material and thirdly, a large saving in time and labor. The ll-shaped contact can be stamped out of sheet material and formed in one operation whereas the making of the ordinary screw shell requires four, five or more different operations.

In the accompanying drawing, there is shown, for the purpose of illustrating the principle of my invention, an electric lamp receptacle constructed in accordance with my invention and embodied in a pilot or signal light construction, in which Figure l is a front view in perspective of the device; Fig. 2 is a. rear" view in perspective of the same; Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional view on line 33 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective View of the lamp receptacle comprising insulating body and contacts; Fig. 5 is a top plan View of the insulating body with contacts in position and Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the same.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown an insulating body l5 which may be made of porcelain or other suitable insulating material ca pable of being molded. The said body may be made in various shapes and forms dependent upon the particular use for which it is designed.

In one face, in the present instance, the top face, the insulating body is provided with a circular or round recess l8 sufficiently deep to receive and hold loosely the threaded end of an electric lamp. On opposite sides, the recess is provided with aligned slots ll and I8, the latter of which opens out through one sideof the insulating body. These slots are in diametric relation to the circular recess l5 and are joined together in the bottom of the recess bya diametric slot 19 which in its center opens out the bottom face of the insulating body.

In these three slots is mounted a contact 20 (Fig. 4) of U-shape having a side Wing 2| for holding a binding screw 22 to which may beattached one of the lead wires for connecting the lamp in a circuit. The slot i5 is sufliciently deep so that the base of the contact will be below the bottom of the circular recess a distance great enough to prevent short circuiting with a lamp contact to be hereinafter described. Whenthe contact is in position, the ear 23 on its base projects through an opening in the bottom face of the insulating body and is bored to receive a'screw 24 set in a base recess 25, which screw fastens the contact in the insulating body. The wing 2| en-' gages a flat recessed face 26 formed on the insulating body adjacent the slot I8 and a recess 28 accommodates the end of the binding screw 22.

The inner edges 30 of the arms of the contact are corrugated to fit the thread on the threaded end of a lamp bulb and these edges project into the circular recess It sufficiently far to require the lamp to be screwed into. said recess in the same manner it would be if the recess were provided with the ordinary screw shell. In this manner, the contact fulfills all the functions which would be performed by a screw shell of ordinary construction.

Mounted on a shelf 32 formed on the insulating body is a lamp contact 34 having an arm extension 35 projecting through a side opening 36 into the bottom of the recess l6 in position to be engaged by the central contact on a lamp when it is inserted in said recess. The contact is provided with a threaded hole 38 adapted to receive the end of a screw 40 set in the bottom face of the insulating body whereby the contact is fastened thereto. An upright side extension or wing 42 on the contact serves to hold a binding screw 43 for the attachment of the other lead wire of a circuit, which wing fits in a shallow vertical recess 44 in the insulating body, a deeper recess 45 being provided,

for the end of the binding screw.

The foregoing embodiment of my invention is designed for holding a pilot light and therefore the insulating body is of a form adapted to be secured sideways to a supporting strap in order to hold an electric lamp 5| in register with an insert of red glass 52 carried by a face plate 53. The strap 50 may be of any suitable form but is shown as of yoke form having its two ends turned outwardly and each: provided with an opening 54 to receive means for fastening the yoke in a wall or'outlet box. The insulating body .is fastened to the yoke as shown in Fig. 2 by a screw 55, the end of which is threaded through a square washer 56 mounted in a dove-tailed vertical slot 51 opening out the top face of the insulating body. The yoke is provided with another screw hole 58 symmetrical with that in which the screw is inserted so that the yoke may be reversedly attached to the insulating body if desired.

Adjacent the turned ends of the yoke are partially cut out inwardly turned ears 60, each pro vided with a threaded hole for receiving screws 62 for fastening the face plate to the yoke. The insulating body is provided with a recess 63 for receiving one of these ears and the end of one of said screws 62. The insert 52 of colored glass, preferably red, overlaps the opening in the face plate on the outer face'thereof and may be fixed in said opening by any suitable means such as a split ring 64 mounted in a marginal groove on the insert back of the face plate.

It will be observed that a receptacle made in accordance with my invention is of extreme simplicity with a minimum number of parts comprising nothing more than an insulating body and a pair of contacts with means for fastening them in the insulating body. The insulating body may be molded from porcelain or other suitable material and the contacts may be stamped and formed out of 'sheet material in one operation. The assembling operation requires nothing more than the insertion of the two contacts into proper position in the insulating body and the manipulation of two screws for fastening them in fixed position. The elimination of the screw shell of ordinary construction results in a very material saving in material, labor and time, in consequence of which a receptacle made in accordance with my invention can be produced at a minimum cost.

Although I have shown and described my invention as exemplified in a lamp receptacle susceptible of use in a pilot light construction, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereto since, with slight changes, which would be evident to one skilled in the art, it may be embodied in lamp receptacles for general use and the invention is not to be limited to any particular form other than set forth in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. An electric lamp receptacle comprising an insulating body provided with a recess, said recess having a diametrical slot in its two oppoand extending through a side hole in said insulating body intosaid recess. 7

2. An electric lamp receptacle comprising an insulating body having a top face provided with a circular lamp receiving recess for holding a lamp and with a slotted recess crosswise said circular recess and-opening out one side of said body, a

U-shaped contact mounted in said slot and having the inner edges of its two arms corrugated to fit the threaded end of a lamp and'having a side wing projecting through the open side of saidslot provided with a binding screw, a lamp contact mounted on the other side of said insulating body and provided with contact portion extending through a side hole in said insulating body into said circular recess in position to be engaged by the end of said lamp and separate means for fastening said contacts in said insulating body.

3. An electric lamp receptacle comprising an insulating body provided with a lamp receiving recess having a diametrical slot opening out on one side of said body and a U-shaped contact mounted in said slot and having inner corrugated edges projecting from said slot and adapted for n aging the threaded end of an electric lamp for holding it in said recess, said contact being provided with a wing portion projecting through said side opening and adapted to carry a binding screw.

4. An electric lamp receptacle comprising an insulating body having a top face provided with a circular recess adapted for receiving the threaded and of a lamp bulb, said recess being provided with a continuous diametrical slot in its opposite sides and bottom, the longitudinal axis of said slot being U-shaped, and said slot opening out the top face of said body at its two ends and out one side of said body adjacentsaid top face, a U-shaped plate contact mounted in said slot and having the inner edges of its two arms projecting into said recess-from said slot and corrugated to fit the threaded end of an electric lamp to hold it in said recess, said contact having one of its arms provided with a wing extending outwardly through that portion of said slot opening out one side of said insulating body, said wing being provided with a binding screw for the attachment of a lead wire.

5. An electric lamp receptacle comprising an insulating body having a top face provided with a circular recess adapted for receiving the threaded end of a lamp bulb, said recess being provided with a continuous diametrical slot in its opposite sides and bottom, the longitudinal axis of said slot being U-shaped, and said slot opening out the top face of said body at its two ends, out one side of said body adjacent said top face and out the bottom face of said body, a U-shaped plate contact mounted in said slot and having the inner edges of its two arms projecting from said slot into said recess and corrugated to fit the threaded end of an electric lamp to hold it in said recess, said contact having on its base an ear extending outwardly through that portion of said slot opening out the bottom of said insulating body, said ear being bored to receive means for fastening said contact in said insulating body.

6. An electric lamp receptacle comprising an insulating body having a top face provided with a lamp receiving recess having a diametrical slot in its opposite side walls and bottom, said slot opening out the bottom face of said,body, and a U-shaped plate contact mounted in said slot and having the inner edges of its two arms projecting into said recess and provided with complementary corrugations for fitting the threads of a lamp to hold it in said recess, said contact having an ear projecting through the slot opening in the bottom face of said body for fastening said contact in said body.

'7. An electric lamp receptacle comprising an insulating body having a top face provided with a lamp receiving recess having diametrical slot in its opposite side walls and bottom, said slot opening out one side and the bottom face of said body, and a U-shaped plate contact mounted in said slot and having the inner edges of its two arms projecting into said recess and provided with complementary corrugations for fitting the threads of a lamp to hold it in'said recess and having one of its arms providedwith a wing extending outwardly through the slot opening in the side of said body for carrying a binding screw, and said contact having an ear through the slot opening in the bottom face of said body for fastening said contact in said body.

'8. An electric lamp receptacle comprising an insulating body having a top face provided with a lamp receiving recess having a continuous diametrical slot in its opposite side walls and bottom the longitudinal axis of which is U-shaped and lies in single plane, and a U-shaped plate contact mounted in said slot and having the inner edges of its two arms provided with complementary corrugations projecting from said slot for fitting the threaded end of a lamp to hold the same in said recess, the two ends of said slot opening out the top face of said body for permitting said contact to be inserted in said slot through said top face.

HENRY K. WACK.

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